County updates on solar project talks as planners prepare ordinance for public review

County officials told the Delaware County Commissioners they have resumed talks with several renewable energy developers and that planning staff received a clean draft of a proposed solar ordinance for review and posting to begin the public process.

A presenter reported meetings with End Energy (revisiting an economic development agreement), Exilio (landowner outreach scheduled June 10), National Grid Renewables and Invenergy. The presenter said Invenergy declined to reopen an abatement previously negotiated; End Energy said it would revisit an economic development agreement and acknowledged it would have a higher charge per megawatt‑hour where no abatement exists.

The presenter said several developers continue to report they can build projects with a 500‑foot setback and that larger firms such as Doral and Holocene Clean Energy have expressed interest in smaller brownfield and ground‑field sites. County staff are reviewing prime‑farmland language and flood‑map constraints; the speaker said flood maps—not a numeric density cap—are the primary constraint for some proposed panel siting.

The county presenter said a clean copy of the draft ordinance was sent to commissioners and that, if commissioners agree, it will go to the planning commission for public posting and a hearing. Commissioners also discussed a solar moratorium and confusion created by earlier postings; the county staff said the prior agenda posting errors were a mistake and asked for patience while staff transition duties.

No ordinance was adopted at the meeting. Commissioners put some renewable energy items back on the table for further work and confirmed a June 2 public hearing date for at least some related items. Officials said they will continue outreach to landowners and developers and will proceed to planning commission posting once the county attorney and planning staff finish their review.